Monday, 1 May 2017

Fake Stamp Importer's Sentence Cut From Two Years To Ten Months

The
ringleader of a plot to import £17,000 worth of counterfeit Royal
Mail stamps from Hong Kong has had his sentence slashed.

The
delivery of a box marked gift cards, but full of fake gold-coloured
first-class stamps, was intercepted and delivered to 37 year-old
Christer Chinnappah, who signed for the package.

Chinnappah,
of Ivy House Road, Ickenham, Hillingdon, who organised the
importation, originally received two years imprisonment at
Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court.

He
was also ordered to pay £17,000 compensation to the Royal Mail and
£5,000 costs.

However,
the Court of Appeal this week confirmed Chinnappah's sentence was
reduced to ten months imprisonment last year.

He
only served half of that period and was released in five months.

Chinnappah
pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the Royal Mail between
December 1, 2013 and January 18, 2014 by obtaining and marketing
counterfeit stamps.

He
further pleaded guilty to two counts of entering into the
acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property on dates
between December 10, 2013 and January 18, last year, namely the
purchase of counterfeit stamps for onward sale.

His
two co-defendants, newsagent Jagrut Patel, 54, of Webb's Road,
Battersea, south-west London and Keith Arkell, 54, of Beacon Tree
Avenue, Walthamstow, east London were found not guilty by separate
juries.

Chinnappah
insists he was not the ringleader, but a “middle man” and was
badly advised by his legal representatives.

He
says he has regrets every day that he was caught up in the scam.

Prosecutor
Mr. Warwick Tatford told the court: “Chinnappah has pleaded guilty
and it shows there was an arrangement of some kind involving
counterfeit stamps.

“He
has put his hands up that he was involved and the stamps were
counterfeit.”

Part
of the probe involved an undercover Post Office investigator buying a
book of stamps from Patel's shop, which when analysed proved to be
fake.

“The
case started with one box stuffed full of counterfeit stamps and they
were very good counterfeits,” explained Mr. Tatford, adding the
fake stamps were sold by the forgers at 60% less than their genuine
counterparts.

“These
defendants knew they were getting involved in counterfeit stamps,”
added the prosecutor.

Post
Office investigators, assisted by the National Crime Agency, watched
as Parcelforce delivered the stamps to Chinnappah.

He
was was temporarily staying at a friend's house in Maplin Park,
Langley, Slough.

“Mr.
Chinnappah answered the door and signed for the parcel.”

It
was only after his mobile phone was analysed that links to the other
two defendants were found and when questioned Arkell said he was
involved in stamps, but only buying legitimate discounted ones.